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The Lumineers
III
On The Lumineers’ audacious new album, III (Dualtone, September 13), every note, every syllable, and every moment of silence in between is emotionally charged. Through its course, songwriters Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites make it emphatically clear that the arrangements don’t have to be dense for the songs to be intense.
For this pivotal project, Schultz and Fraites brought Simone Felice back into the fold and added violinist Lauren Jacobson. Felice helmed the group’s chart-topping, certified platinum second album, Cleopatra (2016), and Jacobson has now appeared on all three Lumineers’ albums and has played with them since 2011. She has also joined the band as a touring member, joining pianist Stelth Ulvang, bassist/backing vocalist Byron Isaacs and multi-instrumentalist Brandon Miller. (After eight years, cellist/vocalist Neyla Pekarek left the group in 2018 to embark on a solo career.)
The work is titled III not just because it’s The Lumineers’ third full-length album, but more significantly because nine songs are presented in three chapters, each focusing on one of three main characters (in addition to the nine songs the album contains an instrumental plus three more bonus songs that don’t fit in the narrative). The chapters also serves as the visual bookend for a sequential video series comprising the nine tracks, each directed by Kevin Phillips (whose 2017 film Super Dark Times is streaming on Netflix).
III is so taut in its narrative progression that one might assume it was created with premeditation, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. On the contrary, the work willed itself into existence out of a series of seemingly unconnected elements that magically locked together into a coherent whole.
These elements included detailed notes presciently scrawled by Schultz in a journal more than a decade ago: depicting both the harrowing experience of trying to save an alcoholic close relative from herself, and Schultz’s memories of a deeply absurd family portrait at Sears when he was a child. Another crucial component was a song commissioned and subsequently rejected by a filmmaker, which features a haunting piano passage repurposed by Fraites from years earlier, when he barely knew how to play the instrument. You can’t make this stuff up—but you can use it to make a musically powerful and psychologically complex artistic statement. For the longtime partners, the third time was indeed the charm, on all kinds of levels.
“The chapter idea started percolating back in 2007,” Schultz explains. “I have notes in my journal from that time about three EPs all tying together, but each one having a theme and forming an album. We were going to call it Love, Loss and Crimes. It just never happened—I had the title, but I didn’t have the songs. We initially considered naming this new album Love, Loss and Crimes, because we thought it had a good sound to it, but we ended up going with the Roman numeral III.”
The Denver-based New Jersey natives started to unlock the code while they were writing the album in the Catskills, where Felice lives and works. The first key was “Jimmy Sparks,” a song as vivid in its imagery and as devastating in its portrayal of an alienated father and son as a short story by Raymond Carver or David Foster Wallace.
“‘Jimmy Sparks’ set us off on a course we hadn’t really intended,” Schultz acknowledges. “I’d written a ton of verses for it, and it just wasn’t working. It was an interesting story, but we wanted there to be a hook; we wanted to find a way to relieve the listener and not just keep pummeling them with verse after verse. The Felice Brothers tell stories really well in their songs, and when Simone heard ‘Jimmy Sparks,’ he said, ‘This is definitely gonna make the record, and here’s how we’re gonna do it.’ At that point it became this interesting puzzle, where we had these clearly defined characters. And when we went backward and looked at the fact that I had some of these themes and characters, I realized we could create a world where they could all live together, that we could create a bigger story—the study of a family.”
In collaboration with Fraites, whose expressive piano plays a central role in the drama and beauty of these songs, Schultz refined and connected the characters who inhabited the songs they’d worked up. There would be a family tree spanning three generations: the grandmother, Gloria Sparks; her son, Jimmy Sparks; and her grandson, Junior Sparks. Each would be the focus of a three-song chapter, with the other two figuring in the unfolding narrative, the time frame constantly shifting.
“When you’re working with someone creatively to come up with ideas,” says Fraites, “your good idea is made great when it’s combined with someone else’s good one. After 14 years of Wes and I collaborating, it seems like strong ideas are just flowing out of us quicker and better than ever before.”
Album and Chapter One opener “Donna” introduces Gloria by way of a litany of details, the point of view shifting line by line. “It’s not the words you say but how you say it,” Schultz sings softly, with Fraites playing a lullaby on the piano. “I saved a picture where your hair was braided/They found your wallet in the cemetery/You told your daughter she was ordinary.”
Daughter Donna gets loaded and has a fling in Manhattan on New Year’s Eve in the following “Life in the City,” as the music intensifies. The rousing arrangement of “Gloria,” the album’s first single, belies the lyric’s somber description of Donna’s mother as she sinks deeper into alcoholism.
In “It Wasn’t Easy to Be Happy for You,” which begins Chapter Two, Junior’s girlfriend breaks his heart, dumping him for another guy. In “Leader of the Landslide,” Junior watches his father Jimmy sliding into the abyss after his wife Bonnie leaves him, drinking more heavily and getting hooked on gambling. Junior’s mom moves west and starts a new family in “Left for Denver”; the kid reacts by rebelling and getting in trouble.
“My Cell,” the first song in Chapter Three, finds Jimmy alone with his problems in his trailer, with its primitive painted landscapes standing in for actual windows. The climactic “Jimmy Sparks” spans two decades, starting with prison guard Jimmy buckling in the feverish baby son his wife left him with and driving to a gambling casino, and culminating with Junior, now a young man, spotting his father stumbling along the side of the road, barefoot in the snow, and driving right past this pathetic shell of a man—and by extension, this ruined family. “It was 3 AM,” Schultz repeatedly reminds us.
The piano instrumental “April” provides momentary relief from the emotional carnage, leading into the final song, “Salt and the Sea.” It opens with Schultz strumming his acoustic guitar as if his life depended on it, as he sings of a lifetime of regret and a deep yearning for resolution. In the middle section, Fraites’ crystalline piano passage enters, intimating the unattainable beauty of a life unlived, as Schultz gets to the heart of the matter. “I’ll be your friend in the daylight again,” he imagines, his voice rising with the bittersweet melody. “There we will be, like an old enemy/Like the salt and the sea.”
“That piano line was the first creative idea I ever wrote,” Fraites recalls. “At the time I didn’t know much about the piano and was just messing around. And for me to find that idea again and put it into the last song of the album, which I think is one of the better songs we’ve ever written together, was one of those ‘Oh, wow’ moments, as if the stuff unearthed today from over a decade ago was just waiting for this album.”
“It’s funny how life works,” Schultz says of the convoluted gestation of “Salt and the Sea.” “We were opening for U2, and M. Night Shyamalan was backstage. We struck up a friendship with him, and when he was making Glass, he said, ‘I need a certain kind of song for when the credits roll.’ He described the movie, and so we tried on a different hat when we wrote what became ‘Salt and the Sea.’ It’s got this James Bond chord progression, and it has this tension running through it. We had no plans to put that song on the album, but once we’d written it for him, I said to Jer, ‘Man, I really hope we can put it on our record’ We liked it so much. And then, as luck would have it, he told us it didn’t work in the movie, and that was more than fine for us. So we accidentally got pushed into that direction, and I think ‘Salt and the Sea’ fits well with the energy of ‘My Cell’ and ‘Jimmy Sparks.’ There’s a darkness to that last part of the record.”
Fans don’t usually associate The Lumineers with darkness. “When people hear [the 2012 crossover hit] ‘Ho Hey,’ this simple sunny song, “Fraites says.. “But that’s okay, that was our intent. It sounded minimalistic because we wanted it to feel that way—we wanted that vibe.” But that was seven years ago, and the partners’ lives have changed considerably since then. In 2018, both became first-time fathers of sons, born two months apart. Schultz offers an analogy for his maturation as an artist and as a human being.
“I’m reading the Harry Potter series; Rowlings’ books get progressively darker, and it seems like books age like a person ages,” he notes. “And in a funny way, that’s part of our ambition. We came from a seemingly light place, even though if you listen to our earlier records there’s some dark subject matter—it just sounds happier. We’re allowing our palate to become a little darker, and I feel like it still works and it’s believable, which is a fine line to walk—you don’t want to seem like you’re trying too hard. But my favorite bands—The Beatles, The Stones with Exile on Main St., Dylan with Blood on the Tracks—always gradually pushed me in different directions without me realizing it. We could’ve probably put ‘Gloria’ on any one of the records and it would fit, but ‘My Cell’ and ‘Salt and the Sea’ wouldn’t, and ‘Jimmy Sparks’ especially wouldn’t. Like, what the hell is this? So trying to carve out a place for those darker songs was the big challenge.”
“First and foremost,” Fraites adds, “when Wes and I write, we just care about writing a good song; the music always comes first. This collection of songs worked out in a beautiful way, and I feel with this album we’ve really hit our stride.”
THE LUMINEERS RELEASE COVER VERSION OF TOM PETTY’S “WALLS”
ALL Proceeds from Sales and Streams to Benefit MusiCares®
Listen here: http://smarturl.it/WallsTheLumineers
YouTube: https://youtu.be/DAUMCoD5I30
On the one-year anniversary of his passing, The Lumineers today release their version of Tom Petty’s “Walls.” “Tom Petty is a musical hero of mine, and ‘Walls’ is such an incredible song,” shares the band’s Wesley Schultz, continuing “When I got married, my wife walked down the aisle to the song.”
The band opened up for Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers three times, but it was playing “Walls” in front of Petty that resonated most. The band performed the song at the annual MusiCares® Person of the Year Gala in 2017 where Petty was the honoree. “After we played,” Schultz remembers, “Petty told me how much he liked and appreciated the version, which was a great honor. This is our way of paying homage to him.”
All proceeds from the song will benefit MusiCares, a charity of the Recording Academy™, which provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need.
ABOUT MUSICARES:
A friend and ally of the music community, MusiCares was established by theRecording Academy to safeguard the health and well-being of all music people. A four-star charity and safety net in times of need, MusiCares offers confidential preventative, recovery, and emergency programs to address financial, medical, and personal health issues. Through the generosity of our donors and volunteer professionals, our dedicated team works across the country to ensure the music community has the resources and support it needs.
For more information, visit www.musicares.org, “like” MusiCares on Facebook, and follow @MusiCares on Twitter and Instagram.
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THE LUMINEERS RELEASE ACOUSTIC COVER OF WILLIE NELSON’S HOLIDAY CLASSIC “PRETTY PAPER”s
ALL PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO THE BROWN PAPER BAG MOVEMENT
Listen to “Pretty Paper”:
http://smarturl.it/LumineersPrettyPaper
Today, The Lumineers release their acoustic rendition of Willie Nelson’s holiday classic “Pretty Paper“. All of the band’s proceeds from the first year of sales and streams will benefit the Brown Paper Bag Movement (BPBM), a grassroots program aimed at feeding and clothing the homeless.
The band recently performed on 24 Hours of Reality: Protect Our Planet, Protect Ourselves, an annual broadcast hosted by former US Vice President Al Gore. The program visits countries around the world to hear from policymakers, thought leaders, and citizen activists on the front lines of climate change to discover how this crisis is impacting health worldwide.
In early October, The Lumineers also shared a cover of Tom Petty’s “Walls” to benefit MusiCares®. The band opened up for Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers three times and performed “Walls” at the annual MusiCares® Person of the Year Gala in 2017, where Petty was the honoree.
For information on The Lumineers, visit thelumineers.com.
To find out more about BPBM, visit brownpaperbagmovement.org.
ABOUT THE LUMINEERS:
Denver, Colorado’s The Lumineers released their eponymous debut album through Nashville’s Dualtone in 2012. The triple platinum album garnered two GRAMMY nominations and spawned the chart-topping platinum singles, “Ho Hey” and “Stubborn Love”. The band also served as Saturday Night Live‘s musical guest on January 19, 2013.
After years of touring the world in support of their debut album, the band released the follow up Cleopatra on Dualtone, in 2016. The platinum album debuted #1 on both Billboard’s Top 200 Albums Chart and the UK Albums Chart and featured the gold title track as well as the platinum single, “Ophelia”. The tour in support of Cleopatra included two sold out shows at Madison Square Garden and one at the Hollywood Bowl.
The band has also supported two of their musical heroes, including opening up for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on his last tour as well as U2 on their “Joshua Tree Tour” in 2017. The band was also invited as guests to visit the Obama White House twice in 2016.
CONNECT:
Website: thelumineers.com
Instagram: @thelumineers
Facebook: @thelumineers
Twitter: @thelumineers
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THE LUMINEERS ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM, III TO BE RELEASED SEPTEMBER 13TH
FIRST SINGLE “GLORIA” AVAILABLE TODAY
III: THE WORLD TOUR – FIRST DATES ANNOUNCED
Stream “Gloria” Here:
http://thelumineers.lnk.to/III
Watch “Gloria” Lyric Video Here:
The Lumineers will release their new album III on September 13th through Dualtone (an Entertainment One Company) in the U.S. and Canada and Decca Records for the rest of the world. The two-time GRAMMY nominated band has also released “Gloria,” the first single from the album, which is out today. Lead vocalist Wesley Schultz says the song “is about love between an addict and her family.”
The new album III is audacious: every note, every syllable, and every moment of silence in between is emotionally charged. The album is darker in tone than previous albums and is presented in three chapters, with each one centering on one main character from a fictitious family known as the Sparks, who span three generations in the album’s storyline. III‘s concept began while the band was writing in the Catskill mountains, where producer Simone Felice works. Mixing raw emotional themes with their ear-catching melodies, expressive vocals and trademark acoustic sound, III moves masterly in artistic directions not yet traveled by the band.
Written by the two founding members, Schultz and multi-instrumentalist Jeremiah Fraites, the album sees violinist/vocalist Lauren Jacobson officially joining the band. Her playing can be heard on the band’s previous two albums. She joins the touring lineup that includes pianist Stelth Ulvang, bassist/backing vocalist Byron Isaacs and multi-instrumentalist Brandon Miller. (After eight years, cellist/vocalist Neyla Pekarek left the group in 2018 to embark on a solo career.)
The Lumineers have enjoyed substantial commercial success: their 2012 self-titled debut featured the hit single, “Ho Hey” and was certified triple-platinum in 2018, the same year their 2016 sophomore album, Cleopatra, was certified platinum and hit #1 on the Billboard Top 200. They’ve had 18 #1 hits on Triple A, Alternative and other radio charts, including “Ophelia” maintaining #1 for 13 weeks on Triple A. The Lumineers became only the second artist in history to hold the top slot on the AAA chart for that length of time. The band has sold out tours across the world, with over 300,000 tickets sold on 2017’s Cleopatra World Tour and ended with 27 sold out arena shows. The Lumineers have also supported icons and their musical heroes on the road, including Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on his final tour and U2 on its Joshua Tree tour. This year, the band plans to tour across the U.S. and Europe, including their biggest ever UK shows at The O2 Arena London, Manchester Arena, The SSE Hydro Glasgow, and dates across Europe including 3Arena Dublin, Le Zénith Paris and Verti Music Hall Berlin, following a string of festival dates that include Hangout, Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, Woodstock and more.
Regarding the new album, Fraites says, “This collection of songs worked out in a beautiful way, and I feel with this album we’ve really hit our stride.”
TRACK LISTING:
1. Donna
2. Life In The City
3. Gloria
4. It Wasn’t Easy To Be Happy For You
5. Leader of The Landslide
6. Left For Denver
7. My Cell
8. Jimmy Sparks
9. April
10. Salt And The Sea
11. Democracy (Bonus Track) (Leonard Cohen cover)
12. Old Lady (Bonus Track)
13. Soundtrack Song (Bonus Track)
TOUR DATES:
5/19 – Gulf Shores, AL – Hangout Musical Festival
6/2 – Camden, NJ – Radio 104.5 Birthday Show
6/15 – Chicago, IL – 101 WKQX Pigniq
6/16 – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo Music Festival
6/22 – New York, NY – Alt 92.3 Summer Open
6/29 – Odense, Denmark – Tinderbox
7/19-21 – New South Wales, Austrailia – Splendour in the Grass
7/26 – Niigata, Japan – Fuji Rock Festival
8/2 – MontreaI, QC – Osheaga Festival
8/7 – Denver, CO – The Mission Ballroom
8/9-11 – San Francisco, CA- Outside Lands
8/16 – Watkins Glen, NY – Woodstock Music & Arts
9/21 – Asbury Park, NJ – Sea Hear Now Festival
11/1 – Lisbon, Portugal – Campo Pequeno
11/2 – Madrid, Spain – WiZink Center
11/4 – Milan, Italy – Alcatraz
11/6 – Zurich, Switzerland – Halle 622
11/7 – Munich, Germany – Zenith
11/9 – Vienna, Austria – Gasometer
11/10 – Prague, Czech Republic – Forum Karlin
11/13 – Hamburg, Germany – Sporthalle
11/14 – Berlin, Germany – Verti Music Hall
11/16 – Brussels, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique
11/18 – Utrecht, Netherlands – TivoliVredenburg
11/19 – Cologne, Germany – Palladium
11/20 – Paris, France – Le Zenith
11/22 – Glasgow, UK – The SSE Hydro
11/24 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Arena
11/27 – London, UK – The O2
11/29 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
# # #
THE LUMINEERS
PERFORM NEW SINGLE “GLORIA”
ON THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT
WORLD TOUR STARTS IN JUNE, NEW ALBUM III OUT SEPTEMBER 13
Photo courtesy of CBS
“The Lumineers’ lead singer Wesley Schultz delivered an intimate and moving performance.”
– Billboard
WATCH “GLORIA” LIVE:
Last night, The Lumineers hit the stage at The Late Show With Stephen Colbert to deliver a captivating, intimate performance of their latest single “Gloria.” The new track is the first release from their forthcoming album III which comes out on September 13th via Dualtone (an Entertainment One Company) in the U.S. and Canada and Decca Records for the rest of the world. “Gloria,” according to lead vocalist Wesley Schultz, “is about love between an addict and her family.” As part of the set, the backdrop was complete with vintage patterns and found family footage.
In addition to “Gloria,” The Lumineers debuted “Nightshade” as part of the Game of Thrones soundtrack last week. Starting in early summer, the two-time GRAMMY nominated band have plans to tour across the U.S. and Europe, including their biggest ever UK shows at The O2 Arena London, Manchester Arena, The SSE Hydro Glasgow, and dates across Europe including 3Arena Dublin, Le Zénith Paris and Verti Music Hall Berlin, following a string of festival dates that include Hangout, Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, Woodstock and more.
For more information, visit thelumineers.com.
TOUR DATES:
5/19 – Gulf Shores, AL – Hangout Musical Festival
6/2 – Camden, NJ – Radio 104.5 Birthday Show
6/15 – Chicago, IL – 101 WKQX Pigniq
6/16 – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo Music Festival
6/22 – New York, NY – Alt 92.3 Summer Open
6/29 – Odense, Denmark – Tinderbox
7/19-21 – New South Wales, Australia – Splendour in the Grass
7/26 – Niigata, Japan – Fuji Rock Festival
8/2 – Montréal, QC – Osheaga Festival
8/7 – Denver, CO – The Mission Ballroom
8/9-11 – San Francisco, CA- Outside Lands
8/16 – Watkins Glen, NY – Woodstock Music & Arts
9/21 – Asbury Park, NJ – Sea Hear Now Festival
11/1 – Lisbon, Portugal – Campo Pequeno
11/2 – Madrid, Spain – WiZink Center
11/4 – Milan, Italy – Alcatraz
11/6 – Zurich, Switzerland – Halle 622
11/7 – Munich, Germany – Zenith
11/9 – Vienna, Austria – Gasometer
11/10 – Prague, Czech Republic – Forum Karlin
11/13 – Hamburg, Germany – Sporthalle
11/14 – Berlin, Germany – Verti Music Hall
11/16 – Brussels, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique
11/18 – Utrecht, Netherlands – TivoliVredenburg
11/19 – Cologne, Germany – Palladium
11/20 – Paris, France – Le Zenith
11/22 – Glasgow, UK – The SSE Hydro
11/24 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Arena
11/27 – London, UK – The O2
11/29 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
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THE LUMINEERS RELEASE THE VERY PERSONAL VIDEO FOR THEIR SINGLE “GLORIA”
OFF THEIR UPCOMING ALBUM III;
THE BAND TO RELEASE VIDEOS FOR SONGS “DONNA” AND “LIFE IN THE CITY” OVER THE NEXT TWO DAYS
SONGS ARE FROM
GLORIA SPARKS AUDIO EP RELEASED THIS PAST FRIDAY
“Gloria is an addict. Her character was inspired by a member of my family, and no amount of love or resources could save her. She’s now been homeless for over a year. Loving an addict is like standing among the crashing waves, trying to bend the will of the sea.”
– Lead Vocalist, Wesley Schultz
WATCH “GLORIA”:
https://www.youtu.be/Rh9RIqtN1IM
The Lumineers have released the music video for “Gloria,” their first single from their upcoming full-length album III, out Sept 13th on Dualtone (an Entertainment One Company) in the U.S. and Canada, and Decca Records for the rest of the world. The new album is a cinematic narrative told in three chapters, with the songs from each chapter focusing on one primary character out of three generations of the fictional Sparks family. Each chapter will be released as an audio EP within the full-length album. The 3-song Chapter I audio EP was released in full this past Friday (5/17) and revolves around the family matriarch, Gloria Sparks. Subsequent chapters focus on Gloria’s grandson Junior (Chapter II), and then her son Jimmy Sparks (Chapter III).
Each of the songs from The Lumineers’ new album will also be released as individual music videos that collectively tell the visual story of the three generations of the Sparks family. In addition to the new “Gloria” music video, videos for the remaining Chapter I songs “Donna” and “Life In The City” will be released tomorrow (5/21) and Wednesday (5/22) respectively. All the videos are directed by Kevin Phillips and produced by Neighborhood Watch. Phillips is known for his films Super Dark Times and Too Cool For School. The videos for Gloria Sparks star actress Anna Cordell as Gloria and Josh Close as William (Gloria’s husband).
III is the third album by two-time GRAMMY-nominated band The Lumineers, whose line up is original members and songwriters Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites plus Lauren Jacobson, Stelth Ulvang, Byron Isaacs and Brandon Miller. III follows two platinum albums the 2012 self-titled debut and the 2016 sophomore album Cleopatra. The single “Gloria”, released April 4, quickly shot up to top ten at both the Triple A and Alternative formats, as well as the #1 positon on the Americana chart. The band has seen tremendous success at radio including 18 #1 hits on Triple A, Alternative and other radio charts, including “Ophelia” maintaining #1 for 13 weeks on Triple A. The Lumineers became only the second artist in history to hold the top slot on the Triple A chart for that length of time. The band has sold out tours across the world, with over 300,000 tickets sold on 2017’s Cleopatra World Tour and ended with 27 sold out arena shows.
Starting in early summer, The Lumineers have plans to tour across the U.S. and Europe, including their biggest ever UK shows at The O2 Arena London, Manchester Arena, The SSE Hydro Glasgow, and dates across Europe including 3Arena Dublin, Le Zénith Paris and Verti Music Hall Berlin, as well as a string of festival dates that include Hangout, Bonnaroo, Tinderbox, Splendour in the Grass, Fuji Rock, Osheaga, Outside Lands, Sea.Hear.Now and more. Headline tour dates in the US and Canada have not yet been announced.
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THE LUMINEERS SINGLE “GLORIA” TOPS CHARTS IN THREE RADIO FORMATS: SONG IS #1 AT ALTERNATIVE, TRIPLE A, AND AMERICANA
“GLORIA” IS FIRST SINGLE FROM UPCOMING ALBUM III TO BE RELEASED SEPTEMBER 13
ICYMI: WATCH THE LUMINEERS PERFORM AT JIMMY KIMMEL FROM THIS PAST FRIDAY, JUNE 7
The Lumineers song “Gloria,” the first single from their upcoming album III, tops the chart in three radio formats this week, earning #1’s at Alternative, Triple A, and Americana. III will be released on September 13th on Dualtone (an Entertainment One Company) in the U.S. and Canada, and Decca Records for the rest of the world.
The band is also pleased to share five songs from their June 7 performance at Jimmy Kimmel Live:
Watch “Gloria” here
Watch “Life In The City”, “Donna”, “Sleep On The Floor”, and “Cleopatra” here
“Gloria” is the third time the band has had simultaneous #1’s at Alternative and Triple A following “Ho Hey” from their eponymous debut and “Ophelia” from their second album, Cleopatra. “Ophelia” was #1 at Triple A for 13 weeks, becoming only the second band to top that chart for such a long duration. With “Gloria,” the band now has been #1 12 times at various radio formats to go along with their two platinum albums.
The Lumineers, who sold over 300,000 tickets on their 2017 tour in support of Cleopatra, are currently headlining festivals including Bonnaroo, which they play this coming Sunday. Other festivals include Tinderbox, Splendour in the Grass, Fuji Rock, Osheaga, Outside Lands, and Sea.Hear.Now. The band also will be doing their biggest UK tour this fall with stops at The O2 Arena London, Manchester Arena, The SSE Hydro Glasgow, and dates across Europe including 3Arena Dublin, Le Zenith Paris and Verti Music Hall Berlin this fall.
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THE LUMINEERS RELEASE THE VIDEO FOR THEIR NEWLY AVAILABLE SONG “IT WASN’T EASY TO BE HAPPY FOR YOU”
OFF THEIR UPCOMING ALBUM III
BAND TO RELEASE VIDEOS FOR “LEADER OF THE LANDSLIDE” AND “LEFT FOR DENVER” IN THE COMING WEEKS
SONGS ARE FROM “JUNIOR SPARKS” AUDIO EP
“We try to speak kindly after a breakup, but sometimes the truth is a different story. This is the introduction to Junior Sparks, through his eyes and first-love heartbreak.”
– Lead Vocalist Wes Schultz
WATCH “IT WASN’T EASY TO BE HAPPY FOR YOU”:
The Lumineers have released the music video for “It Wasn’t Easy To Be Happy For You,” a song off their upcoming album III out September 13 on Dualtone (an Entertainment One Company) in the U.S. and Canada and Decca Records for the rest of the world. The upcoming album is a cinematic narrative told in three chapters, with songs from each chapter focusing on one primary character out of three generations of the fictional Sparks family. Each chapter is being released as an audio EP within the full-length album. Songs and videos from Chapter I, Gloria Sparks were released this past spring, and “It Wasn’t Easy To Be Happy For You” marks the first release from the second chapter Junior Sparks, the grandson of the aforementioned Gloria. Chapter III will revolve around Gloria’s son, “Jimmy Sparks.”
“Leader Of The Landslide”, the next song from Junior Sparks will be released on August 2 with a video for it coming August 5, and the chapter’s third song “Left For Denver” will be available on August 16 with the video coming August 19. All the videos for III are directed by Kevin Phillips and produced by Neighborhood Watch. Phillips is known for his filmsSuper Dark Times and Too Cool For School. The video stars Charlie Tahan (Super Dark Times, Ozark) and Emily Kimball (Undeserved, Bad Samaritan).
III is the third album by two-time GRAMMY-nominated band The Lumineers whose line up is original members and songwriters Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites plus Lauren Jacobson, Stelth Ulvang, Byron Isaacs and Brandon Miller. III follows two platinum albums, the 2012 self-titled debut and the 2016 sophomore album Cleopatra. “Gloria,” which Jon Pareles picked for the New York Times playlist upon release of its video, has topped the charts at three formats: Alternative, Triple A and Americana, and it follows the band’s tremendous legacy at radio including 18 #1 hits on various radio formats. The band has sold out tours across the world, with over 300,000 tickets sold on 2017’s Cleopatra World Tour and ended with 27 sold out arena shows.
The band has begun touring for III, headlining festivals like Glastonbury, Bonnaroo, Splendour in the Grass and Hangout, while also playing small intimate underplays in cities like Hattiesburg, MS; Birmingham, AL, Milwaukee, WI; and Brooklyn, NY. In the fall the band will play their biggest shows ever in the UK, headlining The O2 Arena London, Manchester Arena, The SSE Hydro Glasgow and dates across Europe including 3Arena Dublin, Le Zenith Paris and Verti Music Hall Berlin. The band will also continue doing festivals this summer including Fuji Rock, Osheaga, Outside Lands, Bumbershoot, Sea.Hear.Now and more. Headline tour dates in the US and Canada have not yet been announced.
THE LUMINEERS ANNOUNCE 2020 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
DATES ARE IN SUPPORT OF UPCOMING ALBUM, III
(Photo Credit: Danny Clinch)
The Lumineers have announced a 2020 headlining North American tour of arenas and amphitheatres. The tour dates are in support of their upcoming album III out September 13 on Dualtone (an Entertainment One Company) in the U.S. and Canada, and on Decca Records for the rest of the world. Mt. Joy, who recently emerged as “a fast and furious 21st century success story” (Magnet), has been added as support for multiple dates.
The Lumineers are playing the grand opening of the new state-of-the-art Mission Ballroom in their hometown, Denver. The show will be streamed live exclusively to The Lumineers’ Fan Club members via The Big Parade App. Join the Fan Club HERE. The special show starts at 8pm MT on August 7th.
The Lumineers will once again partner with CID Entertainment to offer fans the opportunity to pair a premium concert ticket with merchandise or pre-show access to the III Lounge, with hospitality and entertainment. Packages will be available beginning August 12th at 10am local time. For details, visit cidentertainment.com/events/the-lumineers-tour/
The band has been headlining festivals in the US and Canada, like Bonnaroo, Hangout Festival, and Osheaga, as well as playing worldwide festivals like Glastonbury, Tinderbox, Fuji Rock, and Splendour in the Grass. In the fall the band will play their biggest shows ever in the UK, headlining The O2 Arena London, Manchester Arena, The SSE Hydro Glasgow and dates across Europe including 3Arena Dublin, Le Zenith Paris and Verti Music Hall Berlin. Remaining headline festival appearances this summer are Osheaga, Outside Lands, Bumbershoot and Sea.Hear.Now.
In addition to the tour dates, the band announces that the song “Leader Of The Landslide,” will be released tomorrow and a video will be available on Monday, August 5.
Active members of The Lumineers Fan Club will have exclusive first access to purchase tickets during the Fan Club Presale! The official Big Parade Presale will begin Monday, August 12th at 10am local time. Public Onsale will begin Friday, August 16th at 10am local time. Click HERE https://thelumineers.com/tour-dates/for tour dates.
2020 NORTH AMERICAN HEADLINE TOUR DATES:
Feb 1 — Asheville, NC — U.S. Cellular Center
Feb 4 — Columbus, OH — Schottenstein Arena*
Feb 5 — St. Louis, MO — Enterprise Center*
Feb 7 — Detroit, MI — Little Caesars Arena*
Feb 8 — Cleveland, OH — Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse*
Feb 11 — Grand Rapids, MI — Van Andel Arena*
Feb 13 — Brooklyn, NY — Barclays Center*
Feb 16 — Charlottesville, VA — John Paul Jones Arena*
Feb 18 — Indianapolis, IN — Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Feb 19 — Nashville, TN — Bridgestone Arena*
Feb 22 — Chicago, IL — Allstate Arena
Feb 25 — Pittsburgh, PA — PPG Paints Arena
Feb 26 — Buffalo, NY — Key Bank Center*
Feb 28 — Washington DC — Capital One Arena
Feb 29 — Uncasville, CT — Mohegan Sun Arena*
Mar 4 — Toronto, ON — Scotiabank Arena*
Mar 7 — Ottawa, ON — Canadian Tire Centre*
May 15 — Woodlands, TX — Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
May 16 — Dallas, TX — Dos Equis Pavilion
May 19 — Jacksonville, FL — Daily’s Place
May 22 — Tampa, FL — MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
May 23 — West Palm Beach, FL — Coral Sky Amphitheatre
May 27 — Virginia Beach, VA — Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
May 29 — Charlotte, NC — PNC Music Pavilion
May 30 — Atlanta, GA — Cellairis Amphitheater at Lakewood
Jun 2 — Raleigh, NC — Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Jun 5 — Camden, NJ — BB&T Pavilion
Jun 6 — Saratoga Springs, NY — Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Jun 10 — Gilford, NH — Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
Jun 12 — Mansfield, MA — Xfinity Center
*w/ Mt. Joy
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THE LUMINEERS RELEASE THE VIDEO FOR THEIR NEWLY AVAILABLE SONG “LEADER OF THE LANDSLIDE”
THE SONG IS OFF THEIR UPCOMING ALBUM III AND FROM THE “JUNIOR SPARKS” EP
BAND TO RELEASE VIDEO FOR “LEFT FOR DENVER” IN THE COMING WEEKS
“‘Leader Of The Landslide” is about trying to outrun the ghosts that haunt you.
We jokingly refer to this song as our folk “Stairway To Heaven” because it’s an epic song with 3 distinct parts.”
– Lead Vocalist Wes Schultz
WATCH “LEADER OF THE LANDSLIDE”
The Lumineers have released the music video for “Leader Of The Landslide,” a song off their upcoming album III out September 13 on Dualtone (an Entertainment One Company) in the U.S. and Canada and Decca Records for the rest of the world. The upcoming album is a cinematic narrative told in three chapters, with songs from each chapter focusing on one primary character out of three generations of the fictional Sparks family. Each chapter is being released as an audio EP within the full-length album. Songs and videos from Chapter I, Gloria Sparks was released this past spring, and “Leader Of The Landslide” marks the second song released from the second chapter Junior Sparks, the grandson of the aforementioned Gloria. Chapter III will revolve around Gloria’s son Jimmy Sparks.
“Left For Denver”, the last song of Chapter II, will be available on August 16 with the video coming on August 19. All the videos for III are directed by Kevin Phillips and produced by Neighborhood Watch. Phillips is known for his films Super Dark Times and Too Cool For School.
III is the third album by two time GRAMMY-nominated band The Lumineers whose line up is original members and songwriters Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites plus Lauren Jacobson, Stelth Ulvang, Byron Isaacs and Brandon Miller. III follows two platinum albums, the 2012 self-titled debut and the 2016 sophomore album Cleopatra. “Gloria,” which Jon Pareles picked for the New York Times playlist upon release of its video, has topped the charts at three formats: Alternative, Triple A and Americana, and it follow the band’s tremendous legacy at radio including 18 #1 hits on various radio formats. The band has sold out tours across the world, with over 300,000 tickets sold on 2017’s Cleopatra World Tour and ended with 27 sold out arena shows.
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THE LUMINEERS’
III
A FILM BY KEVIN PHILLIPS
TO PREMIERE IN THE SPECIAL EVENTS PROGRAMME OF THE TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
ON SEPTEMBER 8
LOS ANGELES, CA (August 20, 2019) — This morning, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) announced the world premiere of The Lumineers’ III pronounced (“three”) a visual exploration of the band’s third and latest album, on Sunday, September 8 at 3PM in Cinema 1 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox (Reitman Square: 350 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3X5).
In three chapters corresponding with the album’s 10 tracks, the film explores addiction over three generations of a working-class family in the American Northeast. Initially inspired by The Lumineers’ lead vocalist Wesley Schultz’s own family members, the film is directed by Kevin Phillips (Super Dark Times) from a story by Schultz and The Lumineers’ drummer and pianist Jeremiah Fraites. A Neighborhood Watch production, III starsnewcomer Anna Cordell, Nick Stahl (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, In the Bedroom) and Charlie Tahan (Ozark, Super Dark Times) as the matriarch, son and grandson of the Sparks family. All songs were written by Schultz and Fraites. Schultz, Fraites and manager Bernie Cahill serve as executive producers and Traci Carlson and Richard Peete produce.
Shot entirely in Portland, Oregon, the film’s production team also includes Wyatt Garfield (director of photography), Ed Yonaitis (editor), David Storm (production designer) and Elizabeth Warn (costume designer).
The announcement comes in advance of the two-time GRAMMY nominated band’s release of their new album III on September 13 through Dualtone (an Entertainment One Company) in the U.S. and Canada and Decca Records for the rest of the world.
“This short film is about a member of my family who’s battle with addiction has led her to rehab, jail, and ultimately homeless now, for over a year,” Schultz explains. “We were attempting to make a short film with the album serving as our narrator. I never dreamed it would be premiered at one of the top international film festivals in the world.”
Following the 44-minute film premiere, Schultz, Fraites and Phillips will participate in a Q+A session and The Lumineers will perform.
III is the third album by The Lumineers whose line up consists of original members and songwriters Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites, plus Lauren Jacobson, Stelth Ulvang, Byron Isaacs and Brandon Miller. III follows two platinum albums, the 2012 self-titled debut and the 2016 sophomore album Cleopatra. “Gloria,” which Jon Pareles picked for the New York Times playlist upon release of its video, has topped the charts at three formats: Alternative, Triple A and Americana, and it follows the band’s tremendous legacy at radio including 18 #1 hits on various radio formats. The band has sold out tours across the world, with over 300,000 tickets sold on 2017’s Cleopatra World Tour and ended with 27 sold out arena shows. In 2019, the band has been headlining festivals in the US and Canada, like Bonnaroo, Hangout Festival, Osheaga and Outside Lands, as well as playing worldwide festivals like Glastonbury, Tinderbox, Fuji Rock, and Splendour in the Grass. In the fall, the band will play their biggest shows ever in the UK, headlining The O2 Arena London, Manchester Arena, The SSE Hydro Glasgow and dates across Europe including 3Arena Dublin, Le Zenith Paris and Verti Music Hall Berlin. Remaining headline festival appearances this summer are Bumbershoot and Sea.Hear.Now.
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MATERIALS:
The Lumineers’ III – Film – Still Photograph
Photo ID: Josh Close, Anna Cordell, Charlie Tahan, Nick Stahl, Kathryn Brown, Monica Graves, Jed Arkley
Photo credit: The Lumineers III
LINK to poster and photo below: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/tjbgubmv25a7z33/AABhSg6IhjmsliRuKoOidSOEa?dl=0
The Lumineers’ III – Trailer
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THE LUMINEERS UNVEIL THIRD CHAPTER OF III
ACCLAIMED NEW ALBUM JOINED BY FOUR COMPANION VIDEOS COMPRISING POWERFUL COLLECTION’S THIRD AND FINAL CHAPTER
“MY CELL” VIDEO PREMIERES TODAY,
FOLLOWED BY THREE ADDITIONAL PREMIERES
THROUGHOUT THE WEEK
ALL CHAPTERS NOW AVAILABLE HERE
INCLUDING THE MULTI-FORMAT #1 HIT, “GLORIA“
III: THE WORLD TOUR BEGINS IN NOVEMBER
NORTH AMERICAN HEADLINE DATES START JANUARY 2020
The Lumineers will unveil a series of new videos marking last week’s release of their long awaited new album, III, available now via Dualtone (an Entertainment One Company) in the U.S. and Canada HERE and Decca Records for the rest of the world.
Directed by award-winning filmmaker/cinematographer Kevin Phillips (Super Dark Times), the new videos encompass III’s third powerful chapter, beginning with today’s premiere of “My Cell,” streaming now at the official The Lumineers YouTube channel HERE. Tomorrow, September 17, will see the premiere of the official “Jimmy Sparks” companion video, followed on Wednesday, September 18, by “April,” and then on Thursday, September 19, by the album-closing “Salt & The Sea.”
The 2x GRAMMY® Award-nominated band have already heralded III by rolling out the album’s first two chapters with six prior video premieres, including “Donna,” “Life In The City,” “Gloria,” “It Wasnt Easy To Be Happy For You,” and “Leader of the Landslide,” all streaming now via YouTube HERE. Together, the 10 videos comprise III, a full-length visual manifestation of the album depicted in three chapters corresponding to the album’s 10 tracks. Both the album and film explore trauma and addiction over three generations of the working class Sparks family – Gloria Sparks, her son Jimmy and her grandson Junior. The Lumineers co-founders Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites’ lyrics narrate the raw and visually stunning vignettes, each depicting the agony of love, loss and the enduring impact of substance abuse from one generation to the next. A Neighborhood Watch production, III stars newcomer Anna Cordell, Nick Stahl (Sin City, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines), and Charlie Tahan (Ozark, Super Dark Times) as the matriarch, son and grandson of the Sparks family. All songs were written by Schultz and Fraites. Schultz, Fraites, and manager Bernie Cahill serve as executive producers; Traci Carlson and Richard Peete produce. Along with the band, Dualtone and Decca Records are partners in the production of the film.
III had its world premiere earlier this month in the special events category at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The screening was followed by an exclusive Q&A and five-song live performance by The Lumineers at the intimate TIFF Bell Lightbox, streamed on Facebook Live and viewable now HERE.
“Gloria” has already proven a landmark release for The Lumineers, earning critical acclaim while topping the charts at multi-format radio outlets nationwide, including “Americana,” “Adult Alternative,” and “Alternative,” spending six consecutive weeks at #1 on the latter chart. In addition, the band marked the release of “Gloria” with performances of the song on CBS’ Late Show with Stephen Colbert (streaming HERE) and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (streaming HERE). The Lumineers will return to perform on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon tomorrow, Tuesday, September 17.
The Lumineers will celebrate III with an epic headline tour set to visit arenas and amphitheatres across North America beginning January 31, 2020 at Asheville, NC’s U.S. Cellular Center and then traveling into early summer (see itinerary below). Support on multiple dates throughout the tour comes from Mt. Joy. Additional dates will be announced soon. For complete details and remaining ticket availability, please visit thelumineers.com/tour-dates.
“III: The World Tour” will once again see The Lumineers partnering with CID Entertainment to offer fans the opportunity to pair a premium concert ticket with merchandise or pre-show access to the band’s “III Lounge,” featuring appetizers, a cash bar, and more. Limited packages are available now exclusively via www.cidentertainment.com/events/the-lumineers-tour.
The Lumineers wrapped up a busy summer festival schedule – highlighted by top-billed sets at such legendary global events as Bonnaroo, Glastonbury, Fuji Rock, Splendour in the Grass and Osheaga Festival Musique et Arts – and have an upcoming headline performance at Asbury Park, NJ’s Sea.Hear.Now Festival, set for Saturday, September 21. From there, the band will cross the Atlantic for their biggest European tour to date, with headline shows slated through November in countries spanning Portugal, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
THE LUMINEERS
III: THE WORLD TOUR
2020 NORTH AMERICAN HEADLINE DATES
JANUARY 2020
31- Asheville, NC – U.S. Cellular Center
FEBRUARY 2020
1- Asheville, NC – U.S. Cellular Center
4 – Colombus, OH – Schottenstein Area *
5- St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center *
7 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena *
8 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse *
11 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena *
13 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center *
16 – Charlottesville, VA – John Paul Jones Arena *
18 – Indianapolis, IN – Bankers Life Fieldhouse
19 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena *
22 – Chicago, IL – Allstate Arena
25 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
26 – Buffalo, NY – Key Bank Center *
28 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena *
MARCH 2020
March 4 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena*
6 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre *
7 – Ottawa ON, – Canadian Tire Centre *
MAY 2020
15- Woodlands, Tx – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
16 – Dallas, Tx Dos Equis Pavilion
19 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place
22- Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
23 – West Palm Beach, FL – Coral Sky Amphitheatre
27 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheatre
29 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
30 – Atlanta, GA Cellaris Amphitheatre
JUNE 2020
2 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
5 – Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion
6 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
10 – Gilford, NH Bank of New Hampshire Pavilioin
12 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
*w/ Special Guest Mt. Joy
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III marks the third full-length release from The Lumineers – co-founders/songwriters Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, piano, and backing vocals), with Stelth Ulvang (piano, guitar, and backing vocals), Lauren Jacobson (violin, backing vocals), Brandon Miller (guitar, backing vocals), and Byron Isaacs (bass, guitar, percussion). Produced by Simon Felice at Rhinebeck, NY’s Clubhouse Studio, the album first came into focus through a series of seemingly unrelated events. For Schultz, inspiration came from his journal writings about trying to save a close relative from alcoholism. That gave the story its nucleus, brought to life by a piano piece that Fraites wrote years earlier when he barely knew how to play the instrument. The result is a haunting, deeply personal collection of songs that lyrically marries sight and sound in three emotional sections.
With 19 #1 hits across a range of radio formats, The Lumineers have quickly risen to the ranks of the world’s most popular bands in any genre. 2012’s self-titled debut proved an immediate sensation, rising to #2 on the SoundScan/Billboard 200 on its way to 3x platinum certification in the U.S. and Canada, along with additional gold and platinum certifications around the globe. The RIAA platinum certified CLEOPATRA followed in 2016, debuting at #1 on album charts in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Widely hailed for their energetic but intimate live performances, The Lumineers have traveled the world on a number of sold out tours, including 2017’s “CLEOPATRA World Tour,” which saw over 300,000 tickets sold and closed with 27 consecutive sold out arena dates. Along with its popular success, the Denver, CO-based band has earned a wide array of critical acclaim and other honors, including two GRAMMY® Award nominations, five Billboard Music Awards nominations, and a pair of Americana Music Honors & Awards nominations.
CONNECT WITH THE LUMINEERS
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Photo Credit: Danny Clinch
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Photo Credit: Danny Clinch
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Photo courtesy of CBS
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'III' poster
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Still from The Lumineers' 'III'